Hillary Clinton Condemns Flag Violence

Hillary Clinton has condemned the violence surrounding the Belfast City Hall flag dispute during her visit to Belfast.

She said: "There will always be disagreements in democratic society but violence is never an acceptable response.

"All parties need to confront the remaining challenge of sectarian divisions, peacefully together."

Mrs Clinton is in Belfast following her visit to Dublin yesterday.

She is currently on a four-day trip around Europe which will include the Czech Republic and Belgium.

The US Secretary of State has continually used Northern Ireland as an example to conflict-ridden nation-states internationally to promote peace and understanding.

But Mrs Clinton has arrived in Belfast amidst two bomb threats in L’Derry and County Down, and a death threat issued against Naomi Long for the Alliance Party’s role in the union flag vote.

Commenting on the death threat, she said: "I know her and am distressed about her and attacks on Alliance. It's unacceptable.

"Democracy requires dialogue, compromise and constant commitment by everyone to protect the rights of everyone."

She met Northern Ireland's First Minister and deputy First Minister, and is due later to attend an Ireland Fund dinner at Titanic Belfast.

The Northern Ireland visit could be one of her last foreign engagements as Washington's most senior diplomat. She is due to renew her term as US Secretary of State in December but has said she does not want a second term.

Mrs Clinton was supposed to be discussing the peace process and the economy, but her visit has instead been over-shadowed by an incident in County L’Derry in which four men were arrested for possessing a "viable" explosive device and political tensions surrounding the Belfast City Hall flag protests.

(IT)